A26—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 22,1984
BY WENDY WEHR
ANNVlLLE—Efficiency, plann
ing, and cooperation are wat
chwords for Abram Hoover and his
sons. The combined dairy and beef
operation on their farm in Lebanon
County is the enterprise of Dale,
Dean, and Reed Hoover, who have
a three-man partnership, as well
as their father Abram who con
tributes his advice and help at this
stage.
Planning and cooperation are
particularly evident in the
development of this partnership
arrangement. To understand the
success of the Hoover family, one
must probably understand the
planning that led up to the current
partnership of the Hoover
brothers, Dale, Dean, and Reed.
The Hoover family has gone
through a progression of part
nership and work arrangements in
the past 10 years, and all those
changes have truly meant
progress for the family.
Abram and Jean Hoover pur
chased their Lebanon County farm
in 1963 As their children grew up,
said Abram, they established an
unwritten rule in their family. He
explained that before joining a
family partnership, any of their
children who were interested in
farming first had to work in the
operation from three to five years.
“You cannot put compatibility
down as an agreement on paper,”
remarked Abram Hoover, “that’s
something that has to proven by
experience.”
So before Dale, the oldest
brother, became a partner he
worked for his dad for three years,
and meanwhile Abram researched
partnerships. Then, in 1978, a two
way partnership was established
between Abram and Dale.
After five more years, when
Dean and Reed worked on the farm
and established their interest in
the family operation, the second
and current partnership was
established. As of January 1,1983,
working on the haybine. He has primary responsibility for the
crops and machinery.
The Hoover Farms of Annville, Lebanon County. The Hoovers recent
addition onto their barn to accommodate their 130-cow dairy herd.
Planning is a principle at Hoover Farms
Dale, Dean, and Reed set up a
three-way partnership.
Their father stepped out of the
official agreement, although he is
still active in the farm operation,
particularly with the steers, and is
there when needed by his three
sons.
The three brothers rent the land
from their father and the
machinery from the first part
nership of their father and eldest
brother. They farm 375 acres, with
275 of that put out in com.
Although the arrangement may
sound slightly confusing, it’s based
on a well-thought-out plan that
seems to be working for the
Hoovers. Each brother has his
particular responsibilities, yet
they all make major decisions
together.
Youngest brother Reed is the
herdsman, having chief respon
sibility for the day-to-day
management of the 130 milking
head. Dean manages the steer
operation and also handles the
feeding program for the cows.
Dale is in charge of crops and
machinery
When asked how they decided
who would do what, Dean
remarked that each brother
seemed to have a special interest
or talent that just fitted into the
needs of the operation. While
earning his bachelor’s degree in ag
economics at Penn State, Dean did
some studies on marketing beef,
which was one reason he got into
the steer operation.
Both Dale and his father em
phasized, however, that they are
thankful that the Lord has been so
good to the family and given them
the opportunity to be stewards of
the land and its fruits.
Reed has the patience and in
terest needed to manage the 130-
head dairy herd. His respon
sibilities include day-to-day
record-keeping, which he
describes as a bit confusing right
Left to right are Dean, Abram, Reed, and Dale Hoover. Dean, Reed, and Dale are
partners in a dairy and beef operation that was begun by their father, Abram.
now because they have recently
combined two herds into one at
their main farm.
The Hoovers had had a second
herd of cows on a rented farm, and
when that farm was sold last
winter they had a choice of selling
that herd or adding it to their other
herd. Because the dairy cow
market was so poor, they decided
to combine the two herds as of
March 1.
With a 39-stanchion stall barn
this meant changing cows three
times during milking. So, they
added a 24-stall addition to their
bam this summer. Reed and his
brothers have only been milking in
it for about six weeks and are
pleased so far with the change.
Their herd average stands at
18,000 lbs. milk and 690 lbs. fat with
a 3.7 test The original herd at the
main farm is all registered
Holsteins and the second herd is
about grade animals. Reed says
that they will eventually move to
an all-registered combined herd,
but some of the grade cows are still
good producers.
There are three excellent cows in
the Hoovers’ Brook-Corner herd.
Reed pointed out their top cow,
Brook-Comer Glendell Venture,
who in her four lactations to date
has averaged 22,000 lbs. of milk.
They have recently flushed
Venture and five pregnancies Jiave
resulted. They have contracts on
two bull calves. Reed remarked
that because the process is so
expensive, it is really necessary to
get those contracts.
Although they are striving to
increase the herd average to 20,000
lbs., Reed says they’re more
concerned with improving type.
“Feet and legs are probably our
weakest point,” says Reed,
“although it’s difficult to choose
bulls for that characteristic.”
Reed also referred to the need to
ilt a 24-:
Reed Hoover tries to convince Brook-Corner Glendell
Venture to cooperate for the picture-taking session. Venture
is the top cow in the Hoover herd
"go along with the numbers game”
when it comes to choosing popular
bulls if they want to merchandise.
They’re using a lot of Chairman,
Mars-Tony, Electra, Simon, and
Columbus in breeding, but Reed
noted that a lot of other bulls are
used too, depending on the in
dividual cow. Reed does some of
the breeding himself, and a
technician does the rest
A few years ago they began a
monthly herd check for fertility.
Checking all the cows before
breeding has improved their rate
of conception.
The Hoovers raise nearly all of
their own replacements, although
Reed mentioned that they will buy
a heifer occasionally since it’s a
chance to increase the quality of
Jl -gl —p
I m
Hoover Farm
daughter, Charlotte and Alicia, share in the farm activities
the herd a little quicker.
The Hoovers have sold heifers
the past two years, including 10
this year that were exported to
Venezuela and Saudi Arabia.
Almost all of their heifers
freshen out at two years or two
years and one month. Reed
remarked that they try not to
shortchange the heifers on the
feeding program so that they are
good size when they are ready to
calve.
The cows are fed a total mixed
ration of haylage, high-moisture
shelled com, and corn silage, using
a 13 percent concentrate. This
ration is balanced for 55 lbs.
production, and then the high
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